The Selma Police Department is trying to do the same with slightly less.

The department’s budget was cut by nearly $8,000 for fiscal year 2014, but Chief of Police William Riley said Selma residents shouldn’t expect any change in police coverage.

“We would all love to have more money, but we do have a budget and have to work for the betterment of the city,” Riley said. “We are going to continue what we have been doing and hopefully lower the crime rate.”

The Selma City Council passed the city’s budget on Sept. 23. Prior to finalizing the budget, the council met with each city department to determine areas to cut and increase funding.

The police department’s budget decrease is largely due to several small cuts that are equally spread out across multiple areas, Riley said.

A decrease of $20,300.40, listed under salaries, is the largest change in the budget. The decrease is an adjustment in salaries due to several high-ranking employee retirements. Riley said the department replaced the retirees with new officers. Because high-ranking officers are paid more than those with less experience, Riley said the department made an adjustment in expenses.

The budget also projects an $11,000 increase in expenses for clothing and uniforms, for a total of $45,000. The increase can be tied directly to hiring new officers, Riley said.

“When you hire one brand new officer, you have to outfit them with uniforms, bullet proof vests and all the equipment they might need,” he said.

The Selma Police Department currently employs 50 officers. The police department is looking to hire seven to nine additional police officers, according to the budget.

The police department’s gasoline expense is projected to increase by $6,000 and is projected to total $150,000. Riley attributed the increase to an aging fleet of police cars.

“The older vehicles burn more fuel and that has a ripple effect on us,” he said. “Because the vehicles are older, it costs more to keep on the road. Over time, older cars require more maintenance for problems with the engines.”

The city council couldn’t accommodate two of the police department’s requests.

“We do our best to include all department requests, but we have to stay within the operational means of the city,” Selma City Council president Corey Bowie said.

The department asked to include the purchase of three new police cars and money for maintenance on aging cars in the budget.

Instead, Riley said the department would ask the city council for money from the half-percent sales tax increase earlier this year to lease-purchase the three cars. The department would pay approximately $39,000 per year, for a total of $119,000 over the course of three years, he said.